wat yai and wat nang phaya, phitsanulok, thailand

i went back to visit wat yai again today. there was an old man busking outside the temple for money. i walked around the courtyard and saw many beautiful buddha statues.



the golden buddhas around the main gompa (temple). there must be around 50 in total..

i noticed people shaking incense inside a can which made a rattling sound in front of the huge golden buddha in the main gompa.

i asked the people at the shop where i could find phrasong kie and they told me he was sleeping. then they phoned him up! but i didn't want them to disturb him since monks have to get up at 5am every day for morning meditation. so i spoke briefly to him and said i didn't want to disturb the abbot if he was sleeping too. i was actually relieved not to have meet the abbot.. because i wasn't sure of the proper etiquette but it would have been nice to have received a blessing from him which may have brought me luck!

as i was walking around the cloisters looking at them who should appear but ajahn kie. we had a nice conversation about buddhism and world politics and feminism. he gave me a book called: 'being dharma - the essence of buddha's teachings' by ajahn chah. i have some of his books at home in bakewell - but not this one.

phrasong kie



a monk lighting the giant candles in front of the giant buddha before evening prayers


the monks chanting in pali at the evening service



i have to run and catch my train to chaing mai now.

a helpful station gaurd with 2 street dogs who had taken up residence at the station and had the duty of chasing away rats and stray cats


i also met 2 nice people at the exercise machines by the river - one lady was a statistics teacher and a school girl who was holding a book about mr. bean which is how we started talking. they both wanted to have their picture taken with me and we exchanged email addresses.